MATTHEW WAGNER , Jerusalem Post, 31.10.07. Socioeconomic hardships caused by the West Bank security barrier are contributing to the decline in the Christian population in the Holy Land, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, said in an interview with The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday. "I recently met with Christians in Bethlehem, people by no means extreme, and they told of the daily burdens driving in and out of the city that were created by the wall". Williams said he was aware of "claims" that the project had reduced the number of victims of Palestinian terrorism, but felt that in the long-term, building a barrier between two populations was "causing deeper problems" for the future of Israeli-Palestinian relations.
"The fence does not solve the basic underlying causes of the conflict. That's why I am unhappy with it," Williams said.
It was not just the present route of the barrier that he opposed. Rather, barriers between populations were inherently problematic, he said.
This is not the first time that Williams, the spiritual head of the 77-million member Anglican Communion, has voiced criticism of the security barrier or of Israeli policy regarding Palestinians.
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